Heading into the final quarter

Copyshop Premier Pairs league leaders, Ayre Assassin, drew their first set against second placed Simple Minds and won the second, so extending their lead by 3 vital points. A 2-set win against Tee Pegs, helped Dragons close the gap to 2-points behind second place. No change in the rest of the table as Blues Brothers drew their match against Villa Boys and Villans took both sets from Aljays.

In the Copyshop Teams League the leaders Villans have a healthy 5-point leader over second place, only dropping one point when the singles game against Maxums ended in a draw. Ramsey Raiders keep second place as they took full points from their match against Bowling Stones. Onchan Royals stay in third place despite getting only 2 points from their match against Early Birds and Castletown Crofters stay in fourth after success in the match against Morganites. KCS Sunshine Band remain in fifth after taking full points against Hillbillies

A draw for Douglas Old Boys in their match against 1-in-4 was enough to keep the Old Boys at the top of the First Division Pairs. TOU move to second after their win against Atlas and are only 1-point behind the leaders. Enigma drew their match against GGs and keep third place.  Castletown Crofters drew against CC & me; and Bandits move up the table after they gained 3 points from a win and a draw against US2

No change in the top three places in the evening Team League as they all managed to get maximum points from this week’s matches. Simple Minds with a lead on one-point over Villans in second and Dragons third. Crown Greeners move to fifth place after taking 6 points against Possa Bowls and Morganites move above New Avengers after they won the triples and pairs.

Triples league leaders, Bowlistics were kept to a draw by third-placed Optimists, however, Bowlistics still have a 3-point lead over second placed Castletown Crofters, who got no points from their match against IBS. Morganites had a draw against New Avengers and Possa Bowls took both sets against GG,

A set win and a draw for Celtic Thunder, against Maxums, helped them to move to the top of the Afternoon Pairs. With games in hand Dragons remain in second. The battle for third was a tightly fought match between KT Sunshine Band and Top Dogs. Their match ended in a draw and The Band keep the third place on chalk difference.  Crown Greeners and Bowling Stones match ended in a draw, as did the match between Emanden Utd and GGs. However, the 2-set win for Sunset Rollers, against Tinker and Bell, move Rollers up to table.

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Tense at the Top for the Copyshop Bowls Titles

No change at the top of the Copyshop Premier Pairs as leaders, Ayre Assassins, maintained their one-point lead as they took both sets from Villans and second-placed Simple Minds also took both sets from Villa Boys. The gap to third place has widen by 5-points as Dragons lost the first and won the second against Aljays. Blues Brothers move up a place after a 2-set win over Tee Pegs.

Villans stretch their lead at the top of the Tuesday Team League, now on 66 points, as they managed to take full points from their match against Castletown Crofters. Maxums held Ramsey Raiders to a draw in the singles and Raiders are now on 60 points. In other matches third placed Onchan Royals won the triples and the pairs with their opponents, Team Triskelion winning the singles. Hillbillies lost the triples then went on to win the singles and pairs against Bowling Stones. KCS Sunshine Band won triples and pairs as Early Birds won the singles.

Douglas Old Boys remains leaders of the First Division Pair after their 2-set win against US2. The battle for second was played out between TOU and long-time league leaders Enigma. TOU won both sets and move to second; now on 3 points behind the leaders. 1-in-4 stay above their opponents Castletown Crofters after their match was drawn.  A 2-set win for GGs, against Atlas, move them up a place as the match between Bandits and CC & me ended in a draw.

The mid-week Team League saw league leaders, Simple Minds, win the triples and pairs, however, their opponents, The Possa Bowls, denied Minds full points as they won the singles. Chasing close behind are Villans and Dragons, both teams tied for second place on 60 points with 1 chalk more to Villans. No change in the rest of the table as Spectrum won all 3 games against New Avengers and Crown Greeners winning the triples and singles but missed out on the pairs against Morganites.

Bowlistics are back on top of the Triples league after a 2-set win against The Possa Bowls. Only one point behind are Castletown Crofters after Oddbowls kept them to a draw. Optimists retain third place after their win against GGs. Morganites move up a place after their 2-set win against IBS.

Dragons remain in first place of the Afternoon Pairs, despite only gaining one-point from the match against Tinker and Bell.  Closing the gap are second place Celtic Thunder, who drew their match against Bowling Stones. A 2-set win for KT Sunshine Band against EmandEn Utd move KT into third. Also moving up are Top Dogs after a 2-set win over Maxums. The match between GGs and Sunset Rollers ended in a draw.

Thank you to our Sponsors the Copyshop. For full results to WWW.iomindoorbowling.org

Leagues are getting very tight at the top

In the Copyshop Premier Pairs League, Simple Minds win over Blues Brothers means they have closed the gap to one point behind Ayre Assassins; whose match was drawn against third placed Dragons. Ayre Assassins on 40 points; Simple Minds on 39, Dragons 36. The rest of the positions remain as Aljays and Tee Pegs drew their match and Villa Boys lost the first and drew the second in their match against Villans.

The Tuesday Team League matches were rescheduled to the end of the season in order to allow players to attend the funeral of Muriel Cain.

No change in the table of the 1st Division Pairs League as Bandits held first placed Douglas Old Boys to a draw. Second placed Enigma was also held to a draw by CC & me. However, as TOU won both sets against Castletown Crofters, TOU are now on equal points with Enigma. In other matches 1-in-4 and GGs ended their matches in a draw, as US2 took both sets from Atlas.

Wednesday saw a change to the top of the Teams League, as the first and second teams met. Simple Minds took full points from the match and moved clear of Villans by 5 points. Dragons added 6 points to their total from the match against Crown Greeners and closed the gap on the top two. In other matches Saltire won the triples and singles against Spectrum, and Morganites won triples and singles against Possa Bowls.  New Avengers won triples and pairs against Birdies.

The new leaders in the Copyshop Triples league are Castletown Crofters, who won both sets against Possa Bowls, and are one point clear of Bowlistics. Optimists remain in third place after their 2-set win against Morganites. In the match between GGs and New Avengers, there was a 2-set win for Avengers, and Oddbowls jump to 5th place after taking both sets from IBS.

As Storm Éowyn battered the Island the Friday Afternoon Pairs was suspended, and players will reschedule the matches as soon as possible.  Of the pairs matches played over the weekend. Bowling Stones took both sets from GGs. Top Dogs drew their match against Emanden Utd and Sunset Rollers and Celtic Thunder also drew their match.

Thank you to our sponsors Copyshop. For full results to WWW.iomindoorbowling.org

A good start to the week for the top 3 teams in Copyshop Premier Pairs

Wins for league leaders Ayre Assassins against Tee Pegs, Simple Minds against Villans and Dragons against Villa Boys, means their positions remain the same. Assassins are 3 points clear of Minds and 4 points clear of Dragons.  In the other match played, Aljays took both sets from Blues Brother.

CopyShop Tuesday Team League leaders, Villans took on Bowling Stones, the triples ended 6-7 to Villans, however, the singles game was not as close, as Villans piled on the points and the game ended 22-1. There was some joy for the Stones as the pairs kept the lead all the way and were rewarded with a 7-5 win. In the match between second-placed Ramsey Raiders and fourth-placed Castletown Crofters, Raiders took the singles and pairs after losing the triples 7-8 and remain 5 points behind Villans. Onchan Royals move up to third place when they took full points from Morganites. Team Triskelion move up a place after taking wins in the triples and singles against the in-form KCS Sunshine Band. Hillbillies improved their standing after winning the triples and pairs and drawing the singles in their match against Maxums.

Douglas Old Boys remain top of the First Division Pairs despite drawing a set then losing the second in the match against fourth placed Castletown Crofters. Second placed Enigma mirrored the Old Boys’ game with a draw in the first set and losing the second to 1-in-4. US2 took both sets from third placed TOU, the win moves US2 up to sixth. In a close game Bandits won the first set 7-5 and drew the second against GGs. Slow starters CC & me only scored 2-points in the first set against Atlas but managed a win in the second set to draw the match.

Villans remain top of the Wednesday Team League table after taking full points from their match against New Avengers. Second in the league, Simple Minds took on third placed Dragons and won the triples and pairs, Dragons won the singles 3-15 and Spectrum keep their fourth place after they took maximum points from their match against Morganites. Possa Bowls move up a place after wins in the triples and singles against Birdies, who won the pairs 7-8 to earn 2-points. In the match between Saltire and Crown Greeners, Greeners took the triples, Saltire the singles and, with all to play for, Greeners edged the pairs 7-6.

The top of the CopyShop Triples league table remains the same, as league leaders Bowlistics took both sets and full points from IBS. Castletown Crofters could only manage a draw against GGs and remain one point behind in second place. Optimists remain in third and New Avengers keep their fourth place despite losing both sets to Oddbowls, A win for Morganites, against Possa Bowls, move them up to fifth.

The Afternoon Pairs league leaders Dragons keep their 4-point lead after taking both sets from GGs. Celtic Thunder move to second after a 2-set win over KT Sunshine Band, and Crown Greeners move to third after a draw against Tinker and Bell. Top Dogs and Bowling Stones shared the points from their drawn match and Emanden Utd recorded their second win after their match against Maxums.

Thank you to our sponsors The Copyshop. For full results to WWW.iomindoorbowling.org

Indoor bowlers mourn the loss of Muriel Cain

A minute’s silence was held before the start of each league match for our friend and fellow bowler Muriel Cain, who died over the Christmas period. Muriel represented the Island on numerous occasions in international bowls competitions and was a valued member of the Indoor Bowls Association and will be sadly missed.

No change in the Premier Pairs league positions after the first match since the Christmas Break. Villa Boys lost the first set 5-8 to league leaders Ayre Assassins, however, in the second set they did much better, ending the set 14-3. Simple Minds took both sets from Aljays and remain in second position. A close first set between Blues Brothers and Dragons, which ended 5-6 to the latter. Dragons were more dominant in the second which ended 6-12 and 4 points to Dragons. Tee Pegs missed out on the first set to Villans but held on to the second by taking the set 5-4.

In the Tuesday Team League, Onchan Royals stormed the triples denying league leaders Villans a chalk, however Villans took the singles 2-14 as Royals came back to take the pairs. Morganites were unable to contain Ramsey Raiders as the piled on the chalks in all 3 games and took full points from the match. Castletown Crofters picked up the pace taking the singles and pairs after losing the triples to their opponents Hillbillies. Maxums didn’t get going at all in the triples as KCS Sunshine Band denied them a chalk. There was a better outcome for Maxums’ singles player who took the set, and the pairs ended in draw. Team Triskelion got off to a dream start in the triples against Early Birds, taking the game 15-8. Birds rallied and held Triskelion to a draw in the singles and won the pairs 7-8.

Enigma suffered their first loss of the season and with it their top spot in the First Division Pairs. In a very close match against US2, they lost both sets 4-5 and 5-6. Moving into first place are Douglas Old Boys as they won both sets against third placed TOU. Atlas had no answer to Castletown Crofters, who took both sets and remain in fourth place. In the match between 1-in-4 and Bandits the first set ended in a draw with one set each. GGs got off to a good start taking the first set 8-1 against CC & me. Their opponents then found the length that suited them and took the second set 4-15.

Villans remain 2-points clear at the top of the Wednesday Team League after gaining 4-points from their match against Crown Greeners; and Simple Minds move to second place after taking 6-points from their match against Birdies. Dragons drop to third after their match against Spectrum, who remain in fourth place.

A 2-set win for Bowlistics, against Morganites, keep them at the top of the Triples league. Optimists keep their third place despite losing out to second place Castletown Crofters. The match between Possa Bowls and New Avengers ended in a draw, as did the match between GGs and Oddbowls.

Dragons remain top of the Afternoon Pairs after taking both sets from Sunset Rollers. Crown Greeners, who took both sets from Top dogs, now move to second place. In other games, Bowling Stones drew their game against Emanden Utd, Tinker and Bell lost both sets to Celtic Thunder and Maxums took both sets from GGs

Thanks to our sponsors Copyshop and for full results to WWW.iomindoorbowling.org

Tribute to Muriel Cain

Muriel Cain
Part of the Isle of Man badminton representation at the Commonwealth Games in Brisbane in 1982. Back row: Phil Mead and Dennis Moore; front: Muriel Cain, Peter Kniveton and Roberta Cannell.

Muriel Cain, who died last week at the age of 76 after a short illness, was arguably the best all-round Manx sportswoman of her generation, winning Isle of Man singles titles in three different disciplines – badminton, tennis and indoor bowls.

Badminton was probably her best sport, although she was talented at whatever she tried.  She won an incredible 27 Island badminton titles, made up of eleven singles, eleven ladies doubles and five mixed.  Muriel represented the sport at the Commonwealth Games in Edmonton, Canada in 1978 and four years later travelled with the Manx team to the same event in Brisbane, Australia.  She had in her possession an official invitation from the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh to attend a reception on board the Royal Yacht Britannia at Newstead Wharf in Brisbane which was held as part of the Games celebrations. She listed this as one of her proudest moments, in addition to representing the Island at the Commonwealth Games and other international events.

She also competed in three Island Games – in 1985, 1987 and 1991.  In the process she won two bronze medals in ladies’ doubles.  Tennis was another highly successful sport for her, taking the Island singles title six times, spread over 16 years – the first in 1972 and the last in 1988.  This was as well as many wins at ladies’ and mixed doubles.

Muriel also reached the top of the tree when she took up indoor bowls. A former multi-times Island singles champion, she represented the Isle of Man at the World Bowls Championships on three occasions – in Jersey, Swansea and Hartlepool.  She was playing in a local league match at the National Sports Centre just a few short weeks before her untimely death. Muriel was a very good crown green player as well and was a mainstay of the Douglas ladies team but unfortunately a shoulder injury curtailed her involvement in this sport.  Meanwhile, she reached a high standard in golf enabling her to qualify for the Island Ladies Championship. She also contested and won competitions around the Island.

Muriel Cain was a mild, gentle and modest person but also fiercely competitive with a quiet, but steely determination. She gives a lie to the frequently quoted comment that nice people win nothing.

Indoor Bowls Triples Championship Final

Spectators at the final of the indoor bowls triples championship were in for a treat on Saturday afternoon at the NSC. Trevor Quayle, Wayne Roberts and Brian Lindsay had reached the final after winning the first round against Mike Moyer, Anne Bannan and Nicola Whiting; and the semi-final against Win Kewley, Pam Makin and John Kewley. 

Their opponents in the final were Clive McGreal, Bernice McGreal and David Quirk. They had reached the final after going through the first round then winning the semi-final against Phil Connelly, Les Crellin and Andy Dixon.

The Quayle, Roberts and Lindsay team got off to a dream start by taking four chalks in the first end. It was playing catch-up for the McGreal-Quirk team, however, by the 8th end they had taken the lead 8-7. The set ended 12-8 in favour of the Quayle team after they took the next 2-ends.

In the second set the ends were evenly matched, and it was 3 all by the fifth end. The McGreal team then pulled away to take the set 10-5 and the match was all set for a one-end shoot out. 

The Quayle team’s lead and second had seemingly done enough to secure the win, leaving no easy path to the jack through the tightly packed head. It was then down to the McGreal skip to try and snatch the victory but, despite his best efforts, the last McGreal bowl was sent a little too fast, passing the jack, meaning Quayle, Roberts and Lindsay became Triples Champions for the 2024/25 season.

A special thank you to Gary Lenton for organizing and running the Pairs and Triples Championships.

Shake up in the Thursday evening Triples

New Avengers took on Triples League leaders Bowlistics. Avengers took one set and held Bowlistics to a draw in the other:  Bowlistics are hanging on to top spot by only one point. Optimist closed the gap on the top place by 2-points after a 2-set win against IBS. Morganites leap from the bottom up to fifth place after a 2-set win over GGs, and Possa Bowls also move up after a set win and draw against Oddbowls.

Ayre Assassins took both sets from Aljays and move 5 points clear at the top of the Premier Pairs. Closing the gap behind second placed Simple Minds are Dragons, who won one set and drew the other against Minds. Villa Boys keep fourth place after a 2-set win over Tee Pegs, and Villans move up to sixth after they drew the first set and won the second against Blues Brothers.

Tuesday Team League leaders Villans have a healthy 9-point lead going into the Christmas break. Their match against Ramsey Raiders ended in a win in the triples and pairs for Villans. Raiders move into second place as Onchan Royals were unable to gain a point in their match against Hillbillies. Bowling Stones were unable to get into the match against an in-form KCS Sunshine Band, who took all three sets and move above Stones. Early Birds drew the triples and won the pairs against Maxums, and Team Triskelion won the triples and singles against Morganites.

Bandits kept First Division Pairs league leaders, Enigma to singles figures in both sets but were unable to stop them taking both sets. Only one point behind in second place, after a 2-set win against Atlas, are Douglas Old Boys. CC & me lost out on the last end of the first set to TOU, who ran away with the second set. CC & me managing to hang on to 1 chalk in the last end. Taking 4 point from their match against GGs, Castletown Crofters move up to fourth place

Possa Bowls managed to hold Villans to a draw in the pairs match. However, despite dropping a point, Villans remain Team League leaders. Morganites gained 2-points from a win in the pairs against second placed Dragons. Simple Minds remain third after wins in the triples and pairs against Saltire. Spectrum almost got full points, but Birdies held them to a draw in the pairs, and New Avengers record their second win after the match against Crown Greeners.

Dragons remain on top of the Friday Pairs after a 2-set win over Crown Greeners. KT Sunshine Band move to second after a 2-set win against GGs, and Celtic Thunder move to third after they drew their match against Top dogs. The match ended in a set apiece for Sunset Rollers and Maxums and Emanden Utd get their first win of the season against Tinker and Bell

Keeping her unbroken record of wins Paula Garrett remains Singles League Leader after her match against Muriel Cain, with Stuart Garrett in second after his match against Neil Dunwell.  Shaun Seal is in third place after the match between him and Mike Moyer

The leagues can take a well-earned Christmas Break now until January 6th Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all bowlers and our Sponsors The Copyshop.

The Tuesday team league have one more match to play before they break for Christmas.

For full results to WWW.iomindoorbowling.org